Screenwriting : Turning a feature into a series by Shirley Obitz

Assuming you mean TV series, depends on the type and the genre. Hour long drama? Mini-series? What your base material about?

I am thinking of a Netflix series. It's like Mudbound meets Easy Rider in Noir

maybe 12 episodes...I don't know. I need help

There are some great storylines in the feature that could be wonderful in a series. They need to be developed. In the script, after re-reading it, these storylines go nowhere and just get dropped. They are interesting but not a part of the main storyline. That is why I thought of developing it as a series instead.

You can read the synopsis on my profile. Its called An Angel Called Night.

One of the key things is to make sure your story has enough depth and meat for twelve episodes and beyond. A key tool for conveying that, and which any network or studio will want with your pitch, is a Series Bible.

Here's a link to the series bible for Stranger things http://www.zen134237.zen.co.uk/Stranger_Things/Stranger_Things_-_Bible.pdf

This one is a little fancier than most. But that was part of the selling schtick.

You also need to figure out what networks to target and which producers provide content to them. If you're selling a murder mystery series with a forty-plus lead, CBS. If you're hitting the mommy demographic with some soap, female empowerment and a little escapism, ABC. If you've got a teen-driven, dark rebel-with-cause melodrama, CW. If you don't know what your show is, try NBC - they don't know what their network is either. All kidding aside though, you need to target it at places that handle that type of material because when it comes to a series, you're trying to fit into a lineup of content in a way that rounds the bigger content package out with something unique, but still within the network's consumer range of appeal. And this is true of streaming and cable services too. Even mega-buyer Netflix has certain core goals for viewer retention that its series choices reflect.

TV is actually becoming an easier sell than features with the massive need for content by the big platforms. This will level out eventually as services fill their archives and build provider partnerships that favor established companies more than they do at the moment. But right now, it's the wild west out there. Still tough to get read, but possible.

Hi David, You are amazing. Thank you so much for this reply. It is very insightful. I was thinking about writing a Series Bible. I will check out the link. I appreciate the time you took to help me with this. It means a lot.

9-12 episodes for Netflix. I'm a TV Writer as well as a Screenwriter and they aren't exactly the same. Sounds like what you have is a good blueprint.

For a limited series, you have to hold the line on the A plot until the very end, and it must have a presence in every episode, as opposed to an unlimited series which can stray off for an episode. So even if a character sneaks off for an episode, the audience must be reminded of the on going A plot. The War back home must not be forgotten, so to speak.

Use the significant events in your script that progress the plot as a rough separation of episodes. If they fall in love and sleep together, that happens in one scene in a movie maybe, but it happens as two events in two different episodes, which gives you room to write your subplots.

Those subplots are not merely B or C plots, Sometimes they should stand on thier own as a separate story-within-a-story, sometimes not.

So in your pilot, kick off the A plot and hint at the others to come. The pilot episode is like the first 10 pages of a screenplay, but it's 45-60 pages long. Plenty of time to suck the viewer in.

Remember you have more time to explain your characters, which you'll find means you need to know them better.

To submit something like this, you need a pilot script and a one season bible. Don't waste time writing more episodes. It won't impress anybody in TV.

What sells you in TV is the ability to pump out an episode in a week. Anyone with TV ambition should be able to write an episode of their favorite show in a week. three or four days from a bible.

Perfect your pilot and write your bible, and you'll be surprised out how easy episode 2 comes.

Lastly, even though Netflix doesn't do commercial breaks, try to use a five act structure, not three acts, because it's a selling point.

I have some very basic TV writing materials I can send you, if you like. Pm me.

Hello Kay, I am so grateful for your reply. I never expected I would get advice from top professionals. I am going to read through my script again and begin to conceptualize what you suggested. It is new to me but I will do my best. I will take your advice. I appreciate it very much. Can't thank you enough.

I wouldn't call myself a top professional-- but I've known a few!

Think of the whole season as being the feature. Episode 3(ish) we enter Act 2. Climax at Episode 8(ish). Flesh it all out. A whole world of possibilities. Literally.

There are two types of series. A limited series and the traditional series.

If you are talking a traditional series, then you are talking about a universe where many stories can be told. Think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was a god awful movie that was turned into a cool series. They took the universe and told many stories in that universe.

A limited series is like a film told in many parts. This gives you more time to tell the story you want. You can explore more themes and characters. You just have to have connective tissue that holds them together.

Hi Craig,

That helps a lot. I could do either one. It sounds like a traditional series is better for the material I have.

I think it's a mistake to write a tv series w/ 0 track record. That's like a rookie driver winning the Daytona 500.

Write an indie picture. 1 story versus multiple stories for tv.

Thank you for your uplifting advice, and you’re inspiring analogy, I really appreciate it. I’ll take it under consideration.

Dan MaxXx an indie can be cheaper and you can do it yourself. But there seems to be more content channel on TV these days. They seem to be popping up everywhere.

I have no TV aspirations. And if I do, I'll use my brother's connections for an intro. But is TV that unobtainable. Not a network or big streaming platform, but there must be some small fish hanging out for content as a survival strategy?

There was a Scriptnotes podcast episode a few months ago with a panel of writers. One of them was a TV writer. She said, despite the explosion of TV content going on, most of the big players are turning to the big writers for new ideas, i.e. the Shonda Rhimeses of the showrunning world.

Having said that, there's always a chance you could get noticed if your idea finds the right person to champion it. All you need to write, though, whether it's a limited or regular series, is one pilot episode and a series bible.

I would focus on just one 60 or so page pilot with some of the best stuff you have from your feature. You have to keep in mind it should end on some cliffhanger or event that forces readers to want more and to know what happens next. Also, set up some other potential conflicts, allude to other events, b/c storylines that would also have their completion later on. Also, try to figure out ways to expand the story world you already created in the feature, if there were details/scenes other things you were thinking about but felt it would bog down or make your feature too long it might work as part of a bigger series.

I'd seek out pilot scripts to read from shows that are similar in genre, story, tone, style of yours. Just about all pilots that are not from streaming sites are out there and available to check out. Also seek out articles, books, podcast, videos, etc. on writing a pilot.

Hard to offer any real help without a better understanding of the material..reach out to me with more detail maybe I can help